Information for Prospective Students

Study Abroad Guide

Why UCL?

Studying abroad is an intrinsically valuable experience. Wherever you choose to study abroad you will develop key life skills which, in the increasingly global environment in which we live and work, are highly valued by prospective employers. Furthermore the experience of studying in another country and academic system provides valuable insights which will equip you well for any future graduate study.

Why choose UCL?

UCL’s history, reputation and academic standing is a guarantee of quality. Assessed as one of the top five universities in the world, a period of study at UCL will enhance any CV or résumé.

QS World University Rankings 2013/14

Rank

Institution

Country

1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

US

2

Harvard University

US

3

University of Cambridge

UK

4

UCL (University College London)

UK

5

Imperial College London

UK

6

University of Oxford

UK

7

Stanford University

US

8

Yale University

US

9

University of Chicago

US

=10

=10

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Princeton University

US

US

UCL is a multi-disciplinary university with strength in depth across the academic spectrum. In external assessment its departments have been recognised as producing work of international excellence, much of which is of world-leading quality. UCL’s focus on interdisciplinary study promotes collaborative learning programmes and allows the perspectives and approaches of any one subject to inform and enrich the teaching of another. The range of subjects we offer, combined with our consistently high rankings, provides you with the opportunity for complementary study across subject boundaries of a breadth and quality that can be matched by few, if any, universities in the UK.

UCL’s central London location brings a multiplicity of benefits. Academic resources such as the British Library and the British Museum, and cultural opportunities including the National Theatre, the Royal Opera House and the National Gallery, are all within walking distance. Social opportunities are exceptional; whether you enjoy arts and culture, museums and exhibitions, clubbing and live music, sports, or restaurants and café life, London offers a breadth of choice unparalleled anywhere in the world. If this is not enough, London’s status as a global travel hub means that the diversity and cultural richness of over 40 more European countries are just a short flight or train journey away.

Study abroad at UCL offers you an unsurpassed combination of academic, cultural and social opportunities.

World-class

The Sunday Times newspaper has described UCL as ‘an intellectual powerhouse with a world-class reputation’. We cannot offer you a more succinct description, but it is worth considering some of the factors that might have led to UCL being described in such glowing terms. UCL is one of the highest ranked universities in the UK and has been placed among the top five universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2013/14). But this recognition is not restricted to league tables. Independent evaluation in the UK’s 2008 Research Assessment Exercise has ranked the work of the vast majority of UCL’s departments as being of ‘world-leading’ quality. Another indicator of this world-class status is the fact that 29 of UCL’s former staff and students have been awarded a Nobel Prize.

Cutting-edge and innovative

The curriculum for each study area is continuously reviewed to ensure that it includes the latest discoveries and developments in the field – much of this is drawn from leading research undertaken by the staff who will teach you. Known for pioneering new approaches in education, your study at UCL will provide a global perspective aimed at helping you identify, and potentially contribute to solutions for, problems and issues affecting the global community. Training in study and personal skills is embedded in our approach, and our teaching embraces up-to-date methods in e-learning as well as vital personal interaction in small-group or one-to-one tutorials.

Diverse

Our students are selected on the basis of their talent and potential, irrespective of their social or national background. Around 41% of our students come from outside the UK, and from around 153 different countries. Our academic staff, drawn from 100 different countries, are similarly diverse. UCL has a cosmopolitan, friendly and inclusive atmosphere.

Key facts

Founded 1826

26,700 students of whom some 14,790 are undergraduates

53% female and 47% male students

10,900 students from outside the UK

55 academic units in ten faculties

UCL staff currently includes 53 Fellows of the Royal Society, 15 of the Royal Academy of Engineering, 51 of the British Academy and 117 of the Academy of Medical Sciences

A world-class study abroad experience at UCL offers you a unique opportunity for academic challenge, enriching personal development and the acquisition of valuable life skills.

The UCL experience

UCL has a well-established Study Abroad programme, welcoming students from colleges and universities around the world who wish to gain credit for courses taken at UCL in order to graduate from their home universities. Over 900 study abroad students come to UCL each year. They come from most parts of the world including the USA, Canada and Latin America, from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea, from Australia and from all over Europe. By choosing to join them you will benefit from a challenging and rewarding experience.

Integration

At UCL we try to ensure that you gain the maximum benefit from your year or semester abroad. You will attend classes with regular degree students and will have the same course load, academic support and access to student services. Thus you will not only gain from the experience of studying in a different system but also from full integration with UK and other international students in classes. In return we expect you to be serious-minded in your wish to study; you must be willing to participate, keen to learn, and prepared to expend time and effort on your studies in order to reap the rewards of your time at UCL.

Teaching

Much is expected of you, but equally, much is provided. While we value self-motivation and promote the acquisition of self-directed learning skills, you will benefit from an excellent academic infrastructure. There is an emphasis on small-group teaching and UCL enjoys one of the best staff to student ratios in the UK (1:10). In addition to lectures you will benefit from seminars and tutorials and, where appropriate, practical classes.

Academic support

At UCL you will be supported to ensure that you fully achieve your academic potential. Every study abroad student at UCL is assigned a tutor. S/he will guide your choice of courses to be certain that it represents a coherent programme and meets with any requirements of your home institution. Tutorial support from friendly staff will ensure that you achieve maximum benefit from lectures and that you develop the necessary study skills to do well in the British academic system.